Small Crankbaits

• River fishing for smallmouth bass oftentimes is a shallow-water affair. As a result, small crankbaits that dive less than five feet deep are especially productive. It is a good idea to keep multiple crankbaits on hand, since some of the places that smallmouths inhabit in rivers can be full of snags. Search around areas with logs or log jams, rocks, or structures designed to control erosion. Once you find them, do not be afraid to cast your crankbait right into it since that is where the smallmouths--especially the larger fish--will be lurking. While you may lose some baits, you may catch some big smallmouths in the process.
  
  

Tube Jigs

• The key forage for smallmouth bass in rivers is crayfish. Therefore, the lures you use should be the color of crayfish (browns, oranges, and reds are especially productive). While many lures can be used to imitate crayfish, one of the best is the tube jig, which is a piece of plastic that is shaped like a tube and has tentacle-like objects hanging off the bottom. Rig the tube on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz. jig head and cast it around rocky areas. Drag the tube along the bottom to imitate a crayfish that is scurrying away.
  
  

Spinners

• Spinners are another good bait for smallmouth bass in rivers. Spinnerbaits, which are shaped like a safety pin, are a good choice around cover like logs, log jams, and vegetation. In-line spinners, which feature a blade, beads, and hook on a single, straight shaft, are especially productive in areas that do not have heavy cover. Select small, translucent-colored spinners if the water is clear. In murky water, switch to solid colors like black or brown and use larger spinners--up to about 3/8 oz.
  
  

Topwaters

• Topwater baits like poppers and small buzzbaits can be dynamite when smallmouth bass are bunched up in shallow-water areas. Cast these lures in shaded areas and retrieve them over submerged logs or vegetation. Buzzbaits are especially effective when they bump into cover. As a result, if you are fishing around a log jam, cast and retrieve the buzzbait so that it bumps into the wood as you retrieve it. That will cause the lure to ricochet and add an erratic action, which is attractive to smallmouths that believe it is a wounded or dying prey species.